The Blackened Cross
I had to take them down. My purpose for coming here was complete. Since I'd discovered that Sera's mother was connected to the Jinsaeng Sect, I could dig into this place properly later. I'd thoroughly swept the area behind the pulpit, but there was nothing there. As I was about to leave, the Divine Spirit called out to me.
Please place your hand on the cross on the wall.
Like this? The moment I laid my hand on the cross, its surface cracked and turned pitch black. It looked like a charred dead tree from a fantasy movie.
The Son of God cursed the fig tree that bore no fruit. Those who deceive people with false faith cannot bear fruit either. Something like this suits this place far better than a cross.
Anger lingered in the Divine Spirit's voice. It really showed no mercy toward frauds who impersonated God. I placed my hand on the wooden chairs as I passed by, just as it instructed. They burned pitch black, just like the cross. When I looked back from the doorway, the whole place looked like a haunted house.
“Did you really have to go this far?”
It is a warning. And it is also necessary for you, Master, and that child.
I asked what it meant, but the Divine Spirit simply said I would find out soon enough and refused to explain further.
Back home, I searched for the Jinsaeng Sect. There was a crudely made website, but it didn't contain much. If you didn't look too closely, it looked almost identical to a regular church homepage—you might even mistake it for a denomination of Christianity.
They shortened Truth and Life. These frauds have the audacity to impersonate God's true nature.
“You seem really angry.”
I am expressing anger on God's behalf. Ever since He granted humans free will, He rarely intervenes in worldly affairs. These charlatans take advantage of that to corrupt people.
I continued searching while trying to calm the fuming Divine Spirit. I found a few cases where former believers had sued after being assaulted or having their property stolen, but the numbers were far lower compared to groups like Shincheonji or JMS. I wondered if it was because their influence wasn't as strong, but the truth was that in Korean society, pseudo-religions were rarely touched unless they caused a major social scandal. They were so closed off that gathering evidence was difficult, and with so many fanatics, there was no telling what they might do. In fact, there had been incidents where believers who reported their leaders were murdered, or broadcasting stations trying to expose the truth were attacked. For these reasons, the police only moved once concrete evidence emerged.
“This isn't going to work with just searches. From what little came up, they seem like nothing more than pathetic con artists.”
However, the traces of false faith were incredibly strong. The stronger the energy, the more deeply rotten it is on the inside.
I remembered the black smoke that had writhed ominously. The Divine Spirit had said that the thicker it was, the stronger their power.
Since it was detected through the Grace of Spiritual Discernment, you will soon encounter its true form. Do not be too impatient.
It had been so furious earlier, yet now it sounded strangely relaxed.
You are the one chosen by God, Master. No matter what happens, events will turn in your favor. That is the gift God has given you. A far greater gift than any Grace.
So every situation and every Grace was tailored to me. If I acted with pure goodwill and sincere intent, I could use them. Hearing that, I no longer felt the need to rush or panic. Whatever came my way, I would be able to handle it.
“Haaang, haa… hnng, M-Manager… haaaang… w-what do I dooo…”
“That doesn't sound like a normal reaction to a massage, does it?”
“But… Manager, you're making me feel way too good…”
She casually said things that would cause a massive misunderstanding if anyone else heard. Before moving in, she'd at least pretended to hold back, but here she had zero restraint. Her sticky reactions surpassed even Lina, the queen of over-the-top reactions. As a man, I couldn't help getting aroused hearing those moans. Having porn-level sounds coming from right beside me was on another level. To calm a certain part of myself, I started mentally singing the national anthem to buy some time.
“Manager… are you… excited?”
“Huh?”
“You seem to be deliberately trying not to get up.”
Yeoreum kept asking with a mischievous look. Had she always been this seductive?
If I just disrupt the blood flow in the cavernous body, it will go down immediately. Shall I do that for you?
Shut up!
“T-that's… I'm a man too, so… this is just a physiological reaction, no, wait… I mean, I absolutely do not have any impure intentions toward you…”
I broke out in a cold sweat as I made excuses. Why was I even saying this?
“You can have impure intentions, you know.”
“So there's no need to worry… wait, what?”
A heavy silence fell between Yeoreum and me. An unfamiliar emotion filled her deer-like eyes. If I let myself get swept up in that feeling, I knew I'd never be able to escape it again.
“…It's nothing.”
With those words and a quick thank-you for the massage, she went off to wash up. By then my arousal had died, but I still couldn't leave my spot for a while.
Thinking it would get even more awkward if I stayed, I got up. Before leaving, I glanced at Sera's firmly closed door. Even though she found me intimidating, she seemed to like the massages enough to wait her turn. But today she'd only said hello before claiming she was tired and disappearing into her room. She must still be bothered by what happened that day.
Yeoreum followed me all the way to the front door. Unlike earlier, she was wearing an oversized boxy t-shirt and missing-bottoms fashion. Her long, slender bare legs sparked all sorts of inappropriate thoughts. As I was putting on my shoes, she came close and whispered in my ear.
“Since Sera listens to me well, I'll gently coax her and ask exactly how she got that bruise. I'll contact you the moment I hear anything.”
“R-right.”
The distance from the front door to her room wasn't far, so there was no real need to whisper. Yet she still tickled my ear with that husky voice right beside me. Whatever perfume she was wearing carried a scent that instinctively stirred my senses, leaving my mind hazy. In more ways than one, this contact was bad for my heart rate.
Two days later—
“It really was a bruise from home. She said they were arguing, her mom pushed her, and she hit the corner of something.”
I was on the phone with Yeoreum. She'd gently persuaded Sera and learned the full story behind the bruise. So it really had happened at Sera's house.
“Did she say what they were fighting about?”
“She didn't go into details, but it seems Sera exploded because her mom kept giving money to the church. She barely comes home, and whenever she does, she's either selling stuff or borrowing money from people around her. I think that's why Sera's been struggling so much.”
“Why are you only telling me this now!”
My voice rose without me realizing it. This wasn't some ordinary problem.
“I-I'm sorry… I only found out about it yesterday too.”
Apparently the three of them had talked a lot while drinking yesterday. Toward the end, after having a bit too much, Sera had cried and said everything was too hard because of her mom.
“It doesn't sound like a normal church at all. Isn't there any way to report this to the police?”
No matter the circumstances, if the donations were given voluntarily, the police couldn't do anything. To bring them to justice, you had to prove criminal activity. You couldn't demand an investigation just because they received a lot of money.
“I'll go meet Sera's mother myself. If I introduce myself as the new manager, she'll probably meet me at least once.”
I got her mother's contact info and called, but there was no answer. I left messages and sent multiple texts, but got no response. I planned to go to her house and meet her in person, but another team's request delayed me by a day. Still, I should have moved immediately the next day even if it was late.
From the moment I arrived at the company, my mood was off. Nothing had happened, yet I felt anxious and nauseous.
“What's with that face? Did something happen yesterday?”
My senior asked when he saw me.
“My stomach's not feeling great. I'll be right back after a quick trip to the bathroom.”
As I stood up, my phone rang. It was Yeoreum.
“Sera still hasn't come in. What should we do?”
Her voice was urgent. Yesterday afternoon, she'd said she was going out to meet her younger sibling near the company. She'd called midway saying she'd take her sibling home and sleep over. Since she often met her sibling outside, no one had suspected anything. There was a video shoot scheduled for the morning, but she still hadn't returned. Yeoreum had called multiple times since morning, but there was no answer.
So this is why you felt sick.
The nausea?
Yes. It's a spiritual rejection response. Once you receive a Grace, you become sensitive to evil energies. Something must have happened near the company. Please step outside.
I told the team leader and my senior that I was heading to the dorm and went outside.
Where?
Over there.
I ran in the direction the Divine Spirit indicated. Black smoke was flowing out from a coffee shop on the first floor of the building next to the company. It was the same smoke I'd seen at Sera's house.
The traces of false faith begin here. You can see how they're connected, right?
The smoke stretched continuously along the road like colored lanes on a highway marking a route.
That child seems to have been deceived and taken somewhere.
A terrible thought crossed my mind. The most common crimes committed by pseudo-religious groups were financial exploitation and sexual assault of female believers. Sera wasn't a believer, but she could have been tricked by her mother and taken anyway. The moment I realized she might have been dragged away for that purpose, a fire ignited in my chest. How long had it been since I'd felt this angry?
This is uncontrollable rage. It's the first time I've seen you this angry, Master.
If I follow this, I'll be able to meet the bastards who took her, right?
Most likely. The energy is quite strong. It doesn't seem like just one or two people.
Without answering, I ran to the company parking lot. If I delayed any longer, there was no telling what might happen to Sera.
Are you going alone?
You'll protect me, won't you? You said you wouldn't stand by if someone attacked your master.
I'm confident in defense, but if it's crawling with cultists, what then? We'll have to beat every last one of them down.
I hadn't thought of that. If it was just a few, I might manage, but if they overwhelmed me with numbers, there was no answer. I'd heard that the worst cults even operated enforcement squads to punish believers who betrayed them.
Is there a useful Grace for a situation like this?
Of course there is. I can feel true sincerity in your anger, Master. The conditions are perfectly met as well.
Stop dragging it out and tell me already.
So impatient. Have you ever heard of the Nazareth Monkey Wrench?
“What?”